The Journal of Joshua Loper

Written
by Walter Dean Myers

Reviewed by David A. (age 10)

The Journal of Joshua Loper is about a young black cowboy, who is 13 years old and goes on a trail called the Chrislom Trail, a part of the Oregon Trail. He has eight friends along with a trail leader. They camp out and live in the wilderness of the desert in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. It is a trail made out of desert and all the while they are hunting, camping, and really just living out there. The story takes place in 1781. The lesson in this story is life is not always easy or fair. If you read the first five pages you?ll get the purpose of the book, but read on for a really good ending.

I think the book was very good, but could have added in some description and taken out some of the dialogue. Also, I would have added in some more characters. My favorite part was when Joshua Loper shot his first bandit. I think the moral of the story was that life is not always easy.

Yes, I recommend this book to a friend, because it?s interesting and makes you wonder how hard it was back then. A reader that wants to learn and wonders a lot will like this book. A reader that also likes the westerns with cowboys would enjoy it.